Yup-date.

Yup. It's me again. Ya, I know you'd all thought you were rid of me. Guess what, I'm like a bad penny that way. I keep coming back around. Anyhow, I guess here's your update. Well you've most likely surmised that I've been absent the last week and a half or so. Well for good reason. I finally took some leave from work and decided to head up to the lot and get some stuff done. I took off the 26th through the 29th which effectively gave me from the Thursday before, to, well today, the 1st of April off. So let's get you all up to speed shall we?

OK, so you knew I had the trailer in the driveway for a few weeks. Yeah, I was working on my solar power experiment. I bought all those batteries and a couple of solar panel kits and did all sorts of anectdotal research on the, "Inter-Net" to as to why forta-see how some other guys/gals had done it. Well anyhow, during the trials I discovered that really, to make solar a viable option, I only need about ten solar panel kits at 189 per each to power stuff as long as the sun shines on a fairly regular basis. Anyhow, so jumping ahead, the neighbors I'm sure were getting a bit anxious of my white-trash experiment in the driveway so I pulled it up to the lot to hide it from the casual lookers-on. So, anyhow, I'm not entirely sure but I think dad and I took it up two weeks ago, and then we commenced work on putting some concrete around the fence posts that I started around our parking area. So, to paint you a vivid Miramax picture of what we've got here, imagine a five acre lot, 330' x 660' covered in mostly sagebrush and grass and what-not. Then put a big pile of rocks, whith the median size of a single car garage at the top end of it. Then imagine a crappy version of one of those "Backyards of South-America" play houses and you've got a good start. Additionally, those of you playing along with the, "Life of Riley Home Game" know that last year we put down about 1200 bucks worth of road base on our burgeoning 80'x80' parking area. You'll also recall the drama and intrigue, and near broken-heartedness of our Protagonist at finding that the cost of septic and water had exceeded all available cash fund sources and was post-poned.

OK, so now you're up to par with the rest of our more avid followers. So anyhow, after pulling the trailer up, dad and I worked on painting one section of the two-rail fence and installing some 2x4" rails (not necessarily in that order). Additionally, we also installed a sweet-arse setup (if I do say so my darn-self) that will be the envy of Harbor Freight Solar Kid Afficianados the world over. Yeah, imagine a clothes line T right? Got me? Like but instead of putting some wire betwixt them, put a third T-post in the middler and then put three 2x6" (16 footers) on the top of them for whence to receive the mounting brackets of the aforementioned solar panels (2 each). So, then, paint it sparkling white, with some of Lowe's Valspar (2 in one primer and paint) ((this is not on the test, just backdrop info)), and you've got yourself the beginnings of a mounting platform that is the envy of the county.

OK well that's about where the happiness stops. See, at that point, I invited the whole Fam-Damnily (nuclear) up to take part in the next four or five days of enjoying trailer life the way that many of our Southern and Midwestern allies in the War on Terror/American Values do. Anyhow from there I'll be honest it's a complete blur. I remember burning a tire off of a giant tire rim with Josh one night. See, mainly because I couldnt get the tire off of it, and I had predetermined we needed a more suiting metal fire pit. So, I ....located...this here tire and wheel combo, and went to separating the two of them a few flourocarbons at a time with the aid of a few thousand degrees and some kindling. Anyhow, it's important to note you really shouldnt breath that stuff, and on average it takes about 2 and a half hours to burn a tire of the 16 1/2 inch variety. I'd appreciate any of you in environmental law enforcement to turn a blind-eye at the previous admission of conduct, but not admission of guilt. I have the right to remain silent, I know. I waived it.

Anyhow where were we? Oh, it's also semi-important that the REASON I apparently needed a fire pit, was because we had been having a camp fire smack in the middle of our parking area, and apparently coals and remnants and what-not have been making their way into Stacey's trailer with negative affect on the psyche. So, yeah, she axed me to clean it all up and build an actual fire pit outside of the parking area. Which, I considered a good idea considering the dormant winter grass is about ten inches deep and dry as a bone just outside our parking area. Anyhow, so there were a couple of days of incliment weather, and I hooked all seven of the batteries together and tested out the inverter. Oh, yeah, this is important, so it turns out ANY type of load starts the inverter's cooling fan, which I "cleverly" hid directly underneath our bed (Stacey's/Olivia's/Sam's and once in a while mine) and ran constantly once I attempted to plug the trailer in to run it on over-night as an experiment. Anyhow, realizing the irony that the batteries would be almost dead by morning, only to run the cooling fan inherent in the inverter, so as to cool it from the constant "draw" of two nightlights, was just too much for me to handle. It started my mind on figuring out another way to run this experiment on 12 volt most of the time, and then some sort of a switch (conveniently located somewheres) that one could trip in order to use a particular appliance on demand instead of as per usual like. I'm not sure you're getting the picture so I'll just sush-up about it.

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnyway. So we (the fam) camped out really from Sunday night (for them) and then left in a couple of shot groups on Thursday afternoon. Oh, it's important to note, that with the arrival of Samuel, we now are required to take two vehicles camping. We're THAT family now. One step away from a giant Econoline 15 passenger van I guess. Complete with seven little Disney Mickey Mouse characters in the back of the home-job tint window in the back. Over my dead body.

So, listen, that's about it. The weather was on and off, it was a tad on the cold side, but still enjoyable. I got a lot done and felt great about it. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday turned out to be welcome down-time as all I had to do yesterday was replace the garbage disposal (second time within the year). Also, it's not important to note, but I made the mistake of trying to convey male thoughts and concerns to a female partner and pretty much ruined most of Saturday afternoon. Women I tell you. You start out with a fairly logical line of reasoning, and you get sidetracked and confused with the mundane and trivial and inconsequencial. Oh, and that's just my side of the argument. That's before you bring Stacey into it. ;) Anyhow, all is well, turns out men and women think a little differently, but she's amazing and forgives me just the same for my constant passionate feelings on things like registering ATV's and other critical life-changing events.

Hey, listen I gotta go. I haven't practiced piano in almost three weeks because life sorta just took off at a gallop. Anyhow, all the best to you and youren. You know I think the world of ya. WAIT! Before you go, I forgot the best part! I got the water tank mounted on the stand and moved over next to the trailer and filled half-way full of water and a half-cup of bleach (4 ounces of "prevention" you see). Anyhow, turns out it should gravity feed into the trailer JUST like my schematics and yeller stickies said it would while I was planning it in the off-season.

OK, seriously, you have family stuff and I need a Diet Coke. All the best kids.

Jon